1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to article carriers and, more specifically, to a vest and backpack combination having a hood with a mask and a plurality of detachable load carriers in the front and back of the vest.
2. Description of Related Art
While hiking and enjoying other outdoor activities, it is often useful to carry a plurality of items. These items are often large or numerous, thereby requiring the aid of an article carrier. Backpacks have an important advantage over other article carriers when hiking, because the hands and arms of a hiker are free to swing back and forth, and thus the hiker's manner of walking is unencumbered.
On more extended hikes, equipment requirements increase and a greater load capacity becomes necessary. Auxiliary packs connected to the main backpack increase the load capacity, enabling treks of greater duration. When a large load is carried within a backpack, however, a hiker must lean forward to maintain balance. Backpacks which use a frame and a hip belt, to shift weight from the shoulders to the hips, decrease the degree to which a hiker must lean in order to maintain balance. A frame and hip belt with the addition of a front pack as a counter-balance to a backpack allows a hiker to maintain an upright attitude while walking.
Related art in this field includes the following teachings.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,731, issued to Paul T. Sibley on Dec. 5, 1989, shows a backpack with a pair of detachable auxiliary side packs for carrying more articles than can fit in the pack.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,922, issued to Aarn Tate on Mar. 12, 1996, shows a backpack having a pair of shoulder straps and a hip suspension system and a pair of detachable front pockets for counter-balancing the weight of the backpack.
Vests have been used as alternative to a frame and hip belt assembly for distributing a load carried within a backpack. The load within the prior art vests is distributed throughout the upper torso by loading a plurality of pockets attached to the front and back of the vest.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 316,172, issued to Hanson shows an ornamental design for a combined vest and backpack and U.S. Design Pat. No. 339,912, issued to Delauter shows an ornamental design for a combined backpack and hood.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,620,479, issued to Lamb G. Buck on Dec. 9, 1952, shows a vest-like sportsman's garment made up of an outer garment having a substantially large pocket provided on the back thereof and a harness carrying a pair of depending pockets.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,425, issued to Harold D. Crispin on Nov. 14, 1995, shows a fishing garment with removable pockets disposed on both the front and back thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,359, shows a variable load vest and backpack combination having a seat pad.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,707, issued to David M. Parker et al., on Sep. 28, 1993, shows a utility vest with an integrally carried pack. A pair of straps are engageable with a belt there transfer the weight of items clipped or otherwise attached to the belt to the shoulders of the user, preventing the belt from riding low or sliding down around the users hips.
However, none of the prior art devices show a vest with a detachable front pack for use as a counter balance to a detachable backpack.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a vest backpack solving the aforementioned problems is desired.